Wolf Larsen, the brutal captain of the sailing vessel The Ghost , rescues Humphrey Van Weyden and Maud Brewster from the sea when their ferryboat is rammed. They implore Wolf to send them ashore, but being short-handed and attracted to Maud, he refuses and instead forces Humphrey to toil as a cabin boy. Maud, who has refused to marry Humphrey because she considered him a weakling, finds a contrast in Wolf who rules his crew with an iron fist. As The Ghost nears its destination, Wolf attacks Maud but is seized by one of his terrible headaches, a result of a fight. Maud and Humphrey use the opportunity to escape in a small boat, landing on an island. Some time later, The Ghost drifts in, apparently deserted. They go aboard and discover Wolf alone and blind. With his last spark of life, he attempts to attack Humphrey but is seized by another headache and dies. The two are finally rescued by a cruiser and Maud, cured of her false ideals of manhood, realizes that she loves Humphrey.